Family Linophrynidae
Taxonomy: Family with 5 genera and 27 species; 2 genera and 3 species known from Australian waters
Distribution, ecology and habitat: Worldwide in all oceans; meso- and bathypelagic in 100-2000 m
Characteristics:
Females - Body short, globular to oval, head large, head spines well-developed in some, snout relatively short, eye small, nostrils on papillae; mouth large, horizontal or somewhat oblique, extending beyond eye; teeth variable, some species with extremely long dagger-like teeth. Soft dorsal and anal fins far back on body; dorsal fin with 3 (rarely 4) rays, anal fin with three (rarely two or four) rays; pelvic fins absent. Illicium short, with a prominent bioluminescent esca; 2 genera also with an elaborate hyoid barbel with many light organs. Skin naked, anus directed to the left side of the body.
Size: Females reach 230 mm; males to 29 mm.
Food and feeding: Females attract prey with their bioluminescent lure and elaborate hyoid barbel (if present); feed on fishes and crustaceans.
Reproduction and early life history: Larvae - body slender, elongate, strongly inflated; pectoral fins small, pelvic fins absent. Larvae sexually dimorphic with rudimentary illicium and hyoid barbel rudiment (in 2 genera) present in females by about 10 mm SL. Larval development is prolonged with larvae metamorphosing betwee 15 and 32 mm SL.
Fisheries: no commercial importance.
Remarks: As with most deepsea anglerfishes, the females are poor swimmers. The tiny males, however actively seek a mate using their well-developed olfactory organs. Males attach and hold onto females using specialized toothy denticles on the tips of their jaws. Their tissue and presumably blood vessels fuse with that of the female and they become parasites.
Australian species:
- Haplophryne mollis (Brauer, 1902) Soft Leafvent Angler CAAB 37222001
- Linophryne densiramus Imai, 1941 Thickbranch Angler CAAB 37222002
- Linophryne indica (Brauer, 1902) Headlight Angler CAAB 37222003
References:
Bertelsen, E. 1951. The ceratioid fishes. Ontogeny, taxonomy, distribution and biology. Dana Rept. 39, 276 pp.
Bertelsen, E. 1980. Notes on Linophrynidae V: A revision of the deepsea anglerfishes of the Linophryne arborifer-group (Pisces, Ceratioidei). Steenstrupia 6(6): 29-70.
Bertelsen, E. 1982. Notes on Linophrynidae VIII: A review of the genus Linophryne, with new records and descriptions of two new species. Steenstrupia 8(3): 49-104.
Bertelsen, E. 1984. Ceratioidei: Development and relationships. pp. 325-334, In Moser, H.G., W.J. Richards, D.M. Cohen, M.P. Fahay, A.W. Kendall, Jr. & S.L. Richardson (eds). Ontogeny and Systematics of Fishes. Spec. Publ. No. 1, Amer. Soc. Ichthy. Herpet., ix + 760 pp.
Hansen, K. & P. J. Herring. 1977. Dual bioluminescent systems in the anglerfish genus Linophryne (Pisces: Ceratioidea). J. Zool. London 182: 103-124.
Herring, P. J. & O. Munk. 1994. The escal light gland of the deep-sea anglerfish Haplophryne mollis (Pisces: Ceratioidei), with observations on luminescence control. J. Mar. Biol. Assn. U.K. 74: 747-763.
Pietsch, T.W. 1999. Linophrynidae. Netdevils (deepsea anglerfishes), p. 2037, In Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem. Species identification guide for fisheries purposes. The living marine resources of the western central Pacific. Batoid fishes, chimeras and bony fishes. Part 1 (Elopidae to Linophrynidae). FAO, Rome.
Pietsch, T.W. 2005. Dimorphism, parasitism, and sex revisited: modes of reproduction among deep-sea ceratioid anglerfishes (Teleostei: Lophiiformes). Ichthyol. Res. 52: 207-236.
Pietsch, T.W. & Kenaley, C.P. 2005. Linophrynidae. Leftvent Seadevils. Version 06 November 2005. http://tolweb.org/Linophrynidae/22027/2005.11.06 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/